The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06

IL,
been silent too long for his own pleasure get
not beyond the depth of thy poor friend. Let
us leave these COMPOUNDED stories and be gay.
Do you forget that am going into gloomy
exileF
"a little hubbub of talk and laughter arose,
but for some reason George continued to talk to
the Italian. / was surprised to hear him bring
ing his acute logical faculties to bear upon the
antique rubbish with which Giovannis BRAIN
stored. 1t was like breaking butterfly on
a wheel, ard Giovanni was in no wise hampered
by impossibities. Since the thing was mys-
terry, supernatural, it was useless to reason
about it or to limit the extent
An ancestresS of mine heard him saying
in his dreamy voice. had mirror of Venetian
glass. set in frame carved wonderfully, and
swinging between twisted columns l have
heard that the garland held aloft between the
hands of Amoretti sitting on the top, was made
of the beautiful Venetian colored glasses, that
it simulated a crown of roses, the flower OF
Venus, and seemed to rest above the head of her
who looked into the mirror. When Savanarola
preached against the vanities and luxuries OF
life, my ancestress took down the garland of
roses and replaced it with a cunningly- caryed
crown of thorns. She beautiful woman,
with great blue eyes, and red gold hair like that
of Ttian's women. It said that my ances-
tor loved her with such jealous rage. that he
could not bear her to even look at aught beside
himself; even the sunlight and the evening sky
We're hateful to him. because her sweet eyes
looked at them lovingly. She must have
/
high castle. perched upon lonely rock; and
who can wonder if the painter who came to take
her portrait stirred little blood in those pale
cheeks, if only sudden stone disturbs the
surface of some still mountain lake? Her hus-
band watched her grimly, as she sat in her thick
satin Dress sewed with great pearls and her hair
gathered beneath diadem, and flowing in long
locks behind, One day she dropped her fanSof
snow-white waving feathers, and Cont lifted
and it to her almost Oh his knee and as If he
did her homage. She flushed and smiled at the
handsome, youthful face. and thanked him gen
thy. 1t was farewell. too, for the picture was
finished and would be set on the morrow In Its
place in the gallery: and the old dreadful life
| in which she saw nothing fair but her own sor-
rowful face in the mirror-woud settle down
again like dark veil. Poor soul, it would set
| tie down no more it was to be lifted forever.
1.-THE next morning they found her lying on
| the great bed-with its dark, blood-red hangings
| dead. The woman who made the death toilet
whispered that the fair neck dark and
| swollen, with the cruel grip of strong hands; and
it is said that when she laid in state her long hair
| was curiously dressed. so that her neck and
| throat were yelled by it, and her fair. pitful
| face was framed like some of the Madonnas OF
| Fra Angelica, in burning gold"
By this time the noise of talk and laughter
| had quite ceased, and we were grouped together
listening intently to the Italian. l glanced at
George, and almost started at the expression OF
| his face-an awful face. 1t was as if some des-
/ perate struggle against remorse was tearing to
/
| fought against some anguish, that would long
| ago have conquered weaker man.
| ''As he caught my eye the painful expression
/ vanished, and emptying his full glass and filing
it again. he said with his hardest laugh: But
| what about the mirror Aricoa Did the poor
ladys ghost scare her husband into a late repent
ancep
"'The gloom of the old castle deepened,' con-
/ tinued Giovanni gravely. Once the duke slept
/ there on his way to Florence flor my ancestor
| was of a great and powerful family and for a
| day and night an unaccustomed gayety gided
| those dreary. haunted rooms. There were price
less pictures In the gallery. and my ancestor was
| proud to show his treasures The portrait OF
| Beatrice hung in its place; the beautiful eyes
| seemed to be forever saying, Implorapace. and
| the sunlight rested on the long, golden tresses.
/ The duke spoke of her beauty. and added that
she seemed only child, and that young Great
ures needed youth and gayety about
them. You should have brought her
| to the court, my lord; this castle is
| somewhat sombre for a flower like that" for the
duke loved fair women, bst my ancestor frowned
| meekly and passed on. That nihgt he shut himself
| in his wifes chamber and in the full dawn they
found him on the floor before the mirror; they
lifted him, but his dark face was rigid. and his
gloomy soul had gone to its appointed place Ii
is said that there was some secret casket hidden
in the carved work of the mirror, and that ht
went to seek it, to discover, if possible some
thing that would justify his crime in his owl
eyes Giovanni's voice grew loud and strange
and his dark eyes burned through the cloud o.
smoke that dimmed the gaslight. He had gone
alone into the deserted room, and with his din
candle went to search in the secrets of the dead
1t was midnight and as he looked Involuntary
in the mirror, out of its shadowy depths
suddenly looked forth the face &, o
his dead wife, with all thu
lonely wretchedness and despair of her shor
life gathered into her eyes She implored hin
mutely to give rest to her poor wandering soul
she held him with ghosty strength in thu
dark room, until she conquered, and he fell ant
| I'D haEA ArA chn
avenged. When the duke heard the story, h.
had masses said for her soul; for my ancesto
; had carried his hate beyond the grave, ant
would fain have denied her rest even il
death
There was a painful silence for moment
! then George laughed aloud: "Ah Giovanni
how easy it is for you nfidel Italians to believe
at is said. it is said:" that is enough for you
| Who knows what your grim ancestor saw in tn
} mirror! Did he come back to tell2 His owl
black face might be enough to brighten the sou
out of his old body. And. moreover. suppose
man should choose mirror into which no on
, he knew had ever looked, what then2
Giovanni answered TRANQUILITY: The ham
> of Fate would lead him silently. He would b
7 constrained to choose the mirror holding the fac
, , which made or marred the past
Perhaps no one face was beyond another i
its influence on the pastP
"'As you WILL answered Giovanni, aud re
; lapsed into silence and immobility.
"Look, Jack. George suddenly exclaimed, 4
| Is nearAv Ilunlgnt II you nao q lonely roof
and mirror l would try Giovanni's theory tc
Q night
81 had mirror and lonely room; you re
!, member my studio was in an ancient hotel IN tn
Faubourg st German, and full of relics of tn
I stately past, in the staircase with its broad ba
ustrade. and in the lofty rooms still rich wit
: their faded frescoes. My studio opened into a
immense salon, in which stored all my super
E f1uous artistic properties. They were not many
so the great space was bare and desolate. TIL
9 only piece of furniture was an antique miro
) which had found the day before in an old sho
:, in the city and brought home in triumph as
{ veritable work of art AS Giovanni proceede
. in his story. strange fancy had possession
me; for this mirror swung in its carved frame b'
l. tween two twisted columns. Even the amoret
!, were not missing. although their dimpled hand
> were empty of either garland or crown of thorn
n and the arm of one was broken off above the G
r how